idea for futur Abobe HDRI Designer

Hello Adobe Team,

I’m writing this message out of real frustration, but also because I genuinely believe there is a huge missing tool in today’s 3D workflow.

I am a 3D artist, and I create my own HDRIs because I care about lighting consistency, artistic direction, and originality. But honestly?
Creating a custom HDRI today is a nightmare.

To create a single HDRI from scratch, I am forced to jump between:

- AI image generators to get a base idea
- Photoshop to clean, fix projections, and manually adjust equirectangular distortions
- After Effects to add atmosphere, glow, sky effects
- HDRI Light Studio just to properly shape the light
- Blender to constantly test if the HDRI actually works

This is not creativity.
This is technical survival.

Because of this mess, most artists simply download HDRIs from the internet. Not because they want to, but because the industry gives them no real tool to create their own easily. This kills artistic control and breaks creative flow.

And the worst part?
The problem is not the artist. The problem is the tools.

HDRIs are still treated like “special technical images” instead of what they really are:
a core artistic lighting medium.

What is missing:

There is NO software today that allows an artist to:

- Paint lighting intuitively
- Understand HDRI space visually
- See lighting results instantly
- Stay in ONE application

My vision of a real solution:

A dedicated HDRI creation software, built for artists.

- You paint on something intuitive (a cube, a square surface)
- The software converts this automatically into a correct 360° HDRI
- You see, in real time:
- the final HDRI projected on a sphere
- AND its lighting impact on a 3D object

No guessing. No exporting. No switching software.

Core features that should exist (but don’t):

- Photoshop-like painting tools (layers, brushes, masks)
- Real-time HDR preview (sphere + 3D object)
- True HDR workflow (16/32-bit EXR)
- Integrated light controls (sun position, intensity, softness, color temperature)
- Node-based system (like Substance) for non-destructive effects
- A proper HDR lighting studio built directly into the software

About AI (important):

AI should not replace artists — it should HELP them.

- Import AI-generated images
- Convert them automatically into usable HDRIs
- Allow external tools like ComfyUI via plugins
- Keep everything editable and under artist control

Open ecosystem:

This software should be open:

- Plugins
- Custom nodes
- Artist-made tools
Just like Blender or Substance.

In short:
Photoshop (painting) + Substance (nodes) + HDRI Light Studio (lighting)
but focused entirely on HDR lighting creation.

Adobe already has everything needed to build this:
Firefly, Photoshop, Substance, Lightroom.
What’s missing is not technology — it’s focus.

I’m honestly tired of fighting my tools just to create light.
This software does not exist today, and it should.

Thank you for reading a message coming from someone who actually lives this problem every day.

Best regards,
Alexis
3D Artist